Arrow Academy: Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji (1955 / Blu-ray)

Praised by Japanese film critics and much admired by his contemporaries Akira Kurosawa and Yasujirô Ozu, Tomu Uchida nonetheless remains a little-known in the west. His 1955 masterpiece Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji is an excellent entry point for the newcomer.

Set during the Edo period, Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji is a tragicomic road movie of sorts, following a samurai, his two servants – including spear-carrier Genpachi (Chiezô Kataoka) – and the various people they meet on their journey, including a policeman in pursuit of a thief, a young child and a woman who is to be sold into prostitution.

Winner of a prestigious Blue Ribbon Award for supporting actor – and Kurosawa regular – Daisuke Katô, Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji is a film deserving of much wider international recognition.

Shipping starts on September 4, 2018

SPECS

Director: Tomu Uchida

Starring: Chiezô Kataoka, Ryûnosuke Tsukigata, Chizuru Kitagawa

Country: Japan

Production Year: 1955

Discs: 1 Blu-ray Disc

Region: A

Run Time: 94 minutes

Formats: Black and White; 1.37:1

Audio: Japanese

Subtitle: Optional English

AKA: A Bloody Spear on Mount Fuji

Studio: Arrow Academy

SPECIAL FEATURES

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation

Original uncompressed mono audio

Optional newly translated English subtitles

Brand-new audio commentary by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp, recorded exclusively for this release